Chapter Text
I wasn’t sure what the first thing I should do was. Leora was unconscious on top of me but at the same time I could feel a surge of energy coursing through my veins. I heard myself say her name out of habit, and the word came to my call just like it should have. Swallowing, I hugged her body close to mine and spoke up again, calling forth my status screen. At once it appeared before me to display everything I wanted to know. Gone were the question marks and the locked messages. Instead, it displayed everything I needed to know. Race: Demi-dragon (Whelpling) / Demi-human (Adventurer). Level: 125. HP: 5,872/7,000. MP: 5,000/5,000. DE: 5,000/5,000. Class: Mage / Demonic Mage
Seeking XII
By: Satashi
Leora’s body was gently shifted over onto the stone flooring of the spire while Malori moved to get up. “What did you do, Princess?” With a tug of her cloak, she pulled it off to drape over the girl. “The only way the curse could be broken would be to eat the...” Realization came, memories of handing her friend the candy sphere when they officially broke up. “Leora... Please tell me you didn’t...?”
Reaching to touch the princess’ face, the redhead stopped when she saw a glowing blue crest on the back of her own hand. Fear began to creep up into her mind and soon she tilted the blonde’s head to the side to confirm it: Leora no longer had her crest. “You... you stupid, idiotic...” Before she could insult her princess any further, she felt a new presence before her. Eyes glanced upwards to take in the transparent image of a green haired druid with crossed arms. “...Mana.”
“Can you not do anything right? You humans are such a hassle!” Ignoring the sudden fireball flying through the image of herself, she set her eyes on the mage. “You’re lucky I can’t manifest myself on this plane right now, or you would have to pay for that.”
“Come try me,” Malori snapped back. “Your games have hurt enough people!” To make her anger spike even more, the deity before her simply shrugged.
“You have already proven yourself to be quite the challenger, Malori Crowett.” Mana’s hazy figure landed and took several steps forward so they were face to face. “Even if the method was forced, you were able to eat both the angel and devil candy that I locked your skills behind.”
“So they were just locked.” Arms crossed with a growl. “I should have known... The basic principles of magic state that it can’t be created or destroyed. Once I enhanced my abilities over time, they couldn’t just vanish.”
“Correct.” Mana put her hands on her hips. “Which is what makes you multi-class mutations so freakishly strong. My promise to double your mana pool wasn’t a lie, as you already had the capability. Your Demonic Energy was already a source to be filled, I would just unlock its potential for you. Now that you did it on your own, you’ve become another of which I don’t want. One more bump in my plans that I had to adjust for.”
The mage bit back the accusing thoughts raging in her mind in favor of seeking more information. “There are others like me?”
“Oh yes. You were actually very well acquainted with one when you were little.” She watched the startled realization come over the mage’s face. “Ah, you connected the dots! Good job, maybe you’re not as dense as I thought. That’s right, the demon that caught you when you were wandering the landscape on your own as a small girl.”
“...The one that could use human items... That could revive...”
Mana smirked. “He was an odd one, but his actions did lead me to you. Now here I am, standing before another mixed race.” Green eyes looked at Malori’s horns before darting down to the tail swaying out behind her. “A mixture capable of using both human magic as well as draconic flames. The corruption of breeding with a dragon is a lot stronger than I thought it would be... Yes... I can use this to my advantage.”
“...Why do you sound so happy about this?”
“Because you chose the demon army and increased your power. You are now almost as strong as Velverosa herself, and will surpass her with time.” Furrowing her eyebrows, Mana smiled sickeningly at her. “You, Malori, are still bound by destiny. Thanks to Princess Leora’s sacrifice, you will now become what I need.”
“I would never help you!”
“Stow it, future demon queen! You now hold the power and the body to rule the continents under your claws! Now go, your first step as a demonic breed awaits you. Install fear into the humans, make them pray to me, and I will call forth a hero to slay you.”
Malori threw blast after blast through the flickering image that was now hovering away from her. “I won’t!”
“By your leave, Demon Princess.” Mana’s sarcastic voice vanished from Malori’s ears, leaving her once again alone with Leora on the spire.
Panting, Malori felt her body shake in both fear and rage. The figure floating in the air was fading into nothingness before her, while leaving light green sparkling dust in its wake. “... I don’t have time for this...” Taking a knee by the princess, Malori quickly scanned the girl. “Vitals are good...but your mana...” A hard lump in her throat was swallowed down. It was clear what had happened by looking at the status of the future queen. MP: 0/0
Several deep breaths tried to ease the frustration of the situation and soon she had to admit defeat. The demonic cloak was comfortably adjusted over the girl and then both a black draconic shield, as well as a pink magical one, were placed over her. “I’ll be back... Wait for me, Leora.”
Malori stood back up and took a small hop to stand upon the stone top of the spire. Looking down at her hands, she observed the translucent claws at the end of her fingertips. “If I’m really part dragon now...” Slitted violet eyes closed and demonic energy pulsed from within her core. ‘Pride... I can do this. I can show them that just because I’m part dragon that I can be seen as someone who will protect them... I’ll let them see the truth about demons. That we can soar in the skies as a symbol of protection, to keep them safe!’
A ripping sound came at once, the back of the mage’s shirt shredding as two draconic wings erupted from the scales on her shoulder blades. Black, crystalline support ribs were accented with multicolored webbing between them. A breath was taken and wings flapped as she leapt from the building to rejoin the battle below.
Velverosa halted her attack when a loud thud came next to her. Malori’s body was lying in a small recess of stone by her feet, several cracks and splinters expanding outwards from where the mage crashed. “What the hell!?”
“Ugh.... heal....” A soft green light flashed over the smaller girl as she stood and shook her head, dragon wings sagging in pain. “I can’t... feel my kidney... or my liver for that matter.”
“...Mal?” Vel’s voice was soft, attention withdrawing from the battle for a few brief seconds to take in the sight of her lover slowly getting her bearings back. The wings retracted behind her mate before vanishing, allowing golden eyes to trail off to take in the claws and fully grown horns. “Is that... you?”
“It’s me.” The redhead stumbled forward at first, the tail making it hard to balance for the first few steps. Shermont’s attention swayed over, several spells being thrown at once towards her. “Seriously?” Malori easily deflected the first two with a demonic shield and used her mana to block the third. “We’re kind of having a moment here!”
“Ignorant brat!” Hasha’s strong words didn’t seem to faze the girl, even as he charged forth with a broadsword raised. A crackling lightning sword appeared in Malori’s right hand while a rapier of water formed in her other. “I won’t fall for the same trick-” His words broke when both weapons were thrown anyway. A tidal wave of water broke forth when the rapier was hit and the lightning quickly sent its power through it.
Once Hasha braced the damage and stood to his full height again, his face paled at what was above him. His daughter’s body was coming down quickly, holding the selfsame weapons she just used. Each blade was now black and held a sparkle of the pearlescent rainbow of colors highlighting them now that the mana was drained. Three slashes later and the male was on his knees, golden binds locking him to the ground.
Malori flipped her weapons over her shoulder, each of them breaking into shards, before turning to magical dust and scattering. “Don’t think I haven’t improved... Now, when my mana is done, my flames will still let me keep fighting.” Ignoring the struggling man, she tilted her head to the flame haired woman next to him.
Keisu swallowed, one foot backing up while thoughts of retreat flooded her mind. “Malori... What in the world happened to you...?”
“Did you know?” Malori asked instead, holding out her arms while walking towards her. “That two kingdoms fight over me?” This time the older woman took two steps back to put more distance between them. “That the demon queen accepted me as her mate? The Princess even fell in love with me.” Each step forward was met with one being taken back by her mother. “Folstina wants me to lead an army... The demon kingdom wants me as an advisor...” Seeing that her mother was about to be in a corner, Malori smiled. “And you sold me for five hundred coins.”
Keisu’s back touched a wall and within seconds she found several burning bands of golden energy binding her to it. “M-Malori! I’m your mother! I gave birth to you! I raised you!” The words seemed to strike a chord in the younger girl and soon the mother found herself yanked from the wall and thrown on to the ground next to her husband.
“You two,” Malori addressed them firmly. “Have led army after army of slaves... Have sold countless lives and helped them exchange hands to people who would torture them! You aided a corrupt duke in jeopardizing his country...You tried to infiltrate the capital of Folstina... You dared to fool Princess Leora and take advantage of her goodwill!”
Velverosa walked over to stand next to her mate, a hand being placed onto the shaking shoulder of the girl. “Malori. Calm down. I will handle this.”
Albert managed to finally overpower Shermont and pin him to the ground with his sword to the duke’s neck. “Velverosa, if you slay a human in command right now, then the lies Shermont spoke of will be more believable! Leave them to the humans!”
Hasha growled up in an arrogant sneer. “That’s right, demons. Neither of you can touch us. Now that Malori’s identity as General M is known, she can’t lift a finger to endanger humans without shattering all trust gained from your negotiations!”
A feminine voice came from the side of the group, and a small figure emerged from the shadows. “My Queen,” A purple cloak was wrapped around their body, black feathers lining the hood and covering most of their face. From what could be seen, the demonic mask of general M was over the eyes of the person. “We have succeeded in taking most rebels hostage while incurring as few casualties as we can. Request for backup from Folstina has been approved, and more numbers are coming in as we speak. The day is ours, your Highness.”
Velverosa gave a pleased sneer, seeing golden hair through the torn cloak and blue eyes behind the mask’s lens. “Very good job, General M.” Turning to the two slave traders and Malori, she continued. “Until we meet again, Malori Crowett, King Albert of Folstina, I leave the dealings of humans in your hands.”
Shermont’s sudden intense radiation of energy made them all stop and turn to him. Reddish gold mist left his body and made its way to the two flame haired prisoners before him... “It’s a blessing buff,” Albert shouted. “To boost their battle stats! It’s how we won the fight against the last demon king! If it is finished, then they will get away, and this will be for nothing!”
Malori’s eyes slowly narrowed. “Sometimes we all have to make choices...”
With a startled gasp, Velverosa put her other hand on her mate’s shoulder. “Malori... don’t even think...”
“Sorry, Queen Vel... we have to finish our roles... If I let them go, then countless others will live my life.” Stepping forward, she ignored the infuriated scream of a suddenly bound Velverosa behind her. “Mom... Dad...” Their eyes all met, looking into purple orbs one final time. “...On behalf of the human kingdom, as fiancée of the princess of Folstina and accepted daughter of King Albert... I hereby sentence you both...” Her throat tightened and a thick gulp was swallowed down. “...To eternal rest.”
“Malori!?”
“My daughter!?”
“Thank you for giving birth to me, and...” With a lashing of her hand, Malori sent two arcane spears forward. “...I hope your sleep will be peaceful.”
~**~
The cleanup was something that would take days to finish. Leora made her appearance as general M several times to help quell any rumors during negotiations while Malori tried her best to go between the two sides to help discuss trade. While Shermont’s trial edged on and on, several people came to both support and deny his claims, eventually ending with him being released, but stripped of his power.
After countless days, the capital’s fate was decided as the first human and demon capital settlement. Although not liking the idea of not being in her tower, Velverosa managed to stay to help set up a system with Albert, Leora, and Malori’s help. Soon enough, demons would be able to support themselves enough to even begin exporting their goods and joining the world’s trade routes.
Now, the redhead stood quietly in the graveyard by the castle. Her parents died in the line of duty to Shermont, which meant that they would receive special graves to symbolize their deeds to the country. Although the thought didn’t sit well with anyone, it was ultimately Malori’s decision to let it go.
A small gust of wind blew by her when she leaned forward to place a pouch she held into a small lockbox between the two stones. “And with this, I’m free from the shackles of my past.” The words were softly whispered to herself. Ever so gently the lid was closed and the box locked. Quiet words were brushed against the wind and soon the container began to glow a dull black.
Sounds of grass and dirt being stepped on came up behind the girl, a familiar masculine voice speaking. “I thought you would be here. People are looking for you, ya know?”
Smiling, Malori stood and turned to Cerik. “Hey wolf boy, did you sniff me out?” The playful jab didn’t seem to faze her friend at all.
“Nah, I can just tell when you won’t say what you want.” Brown eyes glanced down. “What did you put in the box?”
Moving to stand beside him, she leaned against his arm. “Guess.”
“... I guess I won’t have to part with this then.” His free hand held up a pouch full of golden coins. “How about I use it to buy us a night on the town?”
Malori felt herself relax against him. “Were you really going to put five hundred coins on their grave?”
“You beat me to it, didn’t you?”
“... Come on, Let’s go.” Malori took his arm to start walking back. “Are you not going to ask?”
“They were your parents. Hate them or not, it will still leave you with a sick feeling. There is nothing wrong with regretting the fact you had to do it. If you hadn’t, then the world would be a worse place right now.”
“...Yeah.” The path to the tower was taken in silence for a little while. “Leora got her results back from Faust.” A curt nod let her know that Cerik was aware. “She can’t store magic in her body anymore... She gave it up to activate the angel candy and locked her crest in it to give to me...”
“She is still happier this way, I think. She never liked fighting... And besides, she has us to protect her now.”
A small laugh came. “Don’t let Fenn hear you say that, playboy.”
“Ugh, don’t even. Fenn won’t let any girl within ten feet of me without growling at them.” Reaching up, he tugged on his collar playfully. “Besides, I’m starting to think maybe that wolf girl isn’t so bad after all...”
Malori chuckled again. “You have my support.” The large castle was walked into, several guards looking over to greet them. “For now.... Let’s get back to the politics.”
“You say that, but...” Cerik smirked down at her. “I told you people were looking.” His words ended in a little wave.
It wasn’t until she noticed Leora that she understood why her friend had jogged on ahead. “Hey, Princess.” To say it was awkward would be grossly understating the feeling in the air. “Uhm...”
With a small shake of her head, she simply smiled. “I don’t regret what I did... Nor do I think that it would influence you any... I know, Malori, and I’ve come to accept it.”
“Then why...?”
“I still love you.” Leora fell into step beside her friend so they could head to the throne room together. “I might always love you...” Glancing down, she steeled herself for the next part. “But no matter how much I throw myself at you, I know where your heart is. That’s why I want to tell you this... I accept that you’re with Queen Velverosa, Malori... and I respect your choice.”
“Princess...” Violet eyes moistened lightly. “Thank you.” Blinking rapidly, she made sure not to let the tears stain her cheeks. “I’ll do everything in my power to not waste what you have given me.”
Smiling softly, Leora faced forward once more. “I know you won’t.” She felt her hand being taken encouragingly by her friend. “Still, though, I’ll be counting on you to save me if anything ever happens!”
The words brought out a laugh from the mage, her tail swaying excitedly behind her. “You got it, Princess. One dragon knight at your service!” The two shared the laughter and pushed into the throne room with an air of acceptance.
~**~
It wasn’t until two months passed before Malori and Velverosa could finally sit on the queen’s bed in the tower once more. The room felt so comforting, and even the ability to just lay next to each other without worry, was easing the couple’s minds. It was Velverosa who spoke first, holding Malori close to her side. “Everything seems to be settling down... Looks like we will finally have some peace.”
“You worked really hard for it, my Queen.”
A soft smile. “We both did.” Reaching up, she brushed some hair behind the girl’s ear. “Your whole life turned around to be here... Moving from your home... having to repeat your final year in school because you missed the last third of your classes... Not only becoming my mate but actually becoming part dragon in the process!” The last part was said proudly as she looked at the horns and tail her lover had. “Let’s not even get into becoming famous around the continent of Folstina.”
“Side effects of my real goal.” Malori beamed back at her. “I hope you didn’t forget the whole reason I started doing all of this in the first place?” Her body shifted, making them both fall back onto the bed with Malori on top.
“And just what goal is that, my mate?”
Malori chuckled to herself as she leaned down to kiss her queen’s lips. “To make you my bride, of course.”
~*The End*~